the fort

So, for mother's day, I decided I would have Shawn watch the boys and I would call on my dad to help me with a little project. We have a "fort" in the backyard, please do NOT refer to it as a playhouse, for Shawn's sake. Anyway...it has a ladder on the outside to a door. The only catch was, you opened the door and fell through to the first floor. Clever, huh? It appears, some smarty pants decided to take out the second floor and so now my kids and their friends are left with a death trap. It's awesome. Friends come over, their kids happily go out to play and I have to run across the yard yelling, "Wait, don't open that, there's no floor." Why would their be?

So, for mother's day, I decided dad could come over and help me and Shawn could watch the boys. You may be asking at this point, "Why didn't Shawn do it?" Well, if you could see the list of "projects" that we have, most of which I have decided should be done, you would understand why I thought it would be best not to bother him with this one. Not to mention, I figured it was time I contribute to one of the "labor intensive" projects I come up with.

Dad, being the wonderful and doting Papa that he is, agreed. We of course figured it would take about 3 hours. I said 4, adding some extra time, just in case. We should have used Shawn's equation, "When in lieu of a project, always multiply by 8."

The fort tilts forward, the beams aren't level, the second floor was cut out crooked, and the guy who originally built it was not firing on all cylinders, as far as I am concerned. It took a good 6 hours and I still have to put the bench back in. Blood was drawn, Dad and I were both nearly reduced to dropping a few inappropriate words and if I ever have to see an exacto knife and carpet again, it will be too soon.

In all my efficency to use this day to get something done, I was bummed that I came in about the time my kids needed to go to bed. I missed spending mother's day with my boys and it was no one's fault but my own. Next year, no projects. Next year is family time. Next year, we're together. Next year, we'll play in the fort...not build it!